The Shot Rang Out
by Amezzeray
Summary: One-Shot. A sniper shoots one of the team and the feelings come tumbling out. TIVA all the way, Major character death.


"TONY!"

The shot rang out. Everyone was on the floor; it was the simplest of the reflexes of a human being… to crash to the floor when you hear a gunshot from above.

Someone fell too quickly.

Gibbs looked up and saw Tony… in a pool of blood.

"Tony..?" Gibbs whispered as he crawled towards him, but what he saw, he was not prepared for.

Tony had tears running down his face, he was holding Ziva in his arms trying to stop the bleeding. Gibbs saw where the bullet was… the damage that had been done…and closed his eyes in sheer disappointment. Tony immediately knew what it meant. But Gibbs didn't give up, he tried to stop it as well.

"She pushed me out the way Boss…I…oh God"

"Tony…", Ziva whispered through the pain of the wound.

Tony held onto Ziva's hand with his own and kissed it. She squeezed back, not wanting to let go.

Ziva begins to drift out of consciousness, "NO, Ziva, you've got to stay with me OK? Please? Don't go…I'm sorry… about…"

**Flashback… to 12 hours ago**

_The time is 9PM, Tony hears a knock at the door._

_He opens it to find Ziva stood there._

**Flashback…to 4 hours ago**

_He woke up to find she was not at the other side of the bed. Tony heard the shower running, so he went in to join her._

_"Hey Sweetcheeks"_

_"Hello my little hairy butt"_

_He held Ziva in his arms as the hot water showered on their bodies._

_Ziva lets out a big sigh._

_"Is this a relationship Tony?"_

_Tony was caught off guard_

_"Erm… why do you ask?"_

_She turned around and looked him in the eyes._

_"We have been at this for three years now Tony and all that it has been is sex sex sex, now don't get me wrong, it is a fantastic piece of relief after a hard case or a rough boyfriend…"_

_"or in your case a psychotic one…"_

_"but, I want to get married one day… have a family… and… "_

_"OK, so you want to end this… fine", he grabbed her hands and pinned her to the wall, "but first, lets do it one more time… the end of an era" he aggressively whispered in her ear._

_Ziva smiled, she knew he was role-playing in a way… she preferred it violent but Tony didn't and only did it this way on special occasions. He picked her up… and they became one…_

"NO, Ziva, you've got to stay with me OK? Please? Don't go…I'm sorry… about…"

Ziva listened to him, but she was trained as an assassin, she knows a fatal gunshot wound when she sees one… or feels one…so she holds Tony's hand tighter, as if he was going away…

"I love you, Tony… hold me… please" Ziva pleads between sobs

Tony brings her closer to him and whispers in her ear "I love you too, Sweetcheeks".

He feels her move as she chuckles at the memory of their undercover op 3 years ago… and then he feels the life drain out of her and the hand that was clinging on for dear life was now limp with death.

**1 week later**

_Ziva David_

_November 12 1979 - June 16 2008_

Tony stares at her tombstone. Everything that has and hasn't been said is running through his head. She loved him enough to take a bullet for him. It turned out their old friend Chip had friends in high places, even in prison…

Ziva's will was clear… she wanted to be buried in America, with her "real family watching over her".

Gibbs walks up behind Tony and places a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, kid"

"the morning she died, she told me she wanted to get married, have kids… I thought she was ending it with me but now I…"

"she was asking you to go down the path with her…"

"yeah… and now I can't…"

"come on… lets go… she would not want you to be wallowing away in self pity… she would want you to be happy… "

"I can't boss… I just can't"

And with those last words, he places a rose on top of the tombstone and kisses it. He then walks off… down the path of uncertainty and despair.

Gibbs looks at him, the last thing he needs is Tony to become just like him… but it looks like he has no choice. This is why rule twelve was so important, and why it will always be important…

The End


End file.
